Engineers are designing flywheel housings that are lighter weight and less costly. Over the years engineers have discovered that weight and cost reductions are achieved by manufacturing flywheel housings out of aluminum. During normal operation of an engine, cyclic temperature changes can cause thermal expansion and contraction of various components at varying rates. The use of components made of different materials adds to the relative movement between components. For example, the flywheel housing experiences thermal expansion greater than the thermal expansion of a cylinder block causing relative movement between the flywheel housing and the cylinder block. The relative movement between the flywheel housing and the cylinder block, if not absorbed by a seal positioned between the two components, can cause the flywheel housing or seal to leak, crack or can destroy connecting bolts used for connecting the flywheel housing to the cylinder block. The harsh environment that the seal is in also adds to seal degradation. Having seals exposed to hot engine oil degrades the seal and reduces reliability. Prior techniques of compensation for thermal stresses, operating vibration, and harsh environments are achieved by using gaskets and integral seals. The gaskets and integral seals that are known in the art have a tendency to fatigue and leak over time due to the excessive stresses and the hot engine oil.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.